Adjudication

Two adjudicators for each site will be chosen by the NCTC staff and board. Adjudicators will provide a positive experience for all participants, recognize hard work, celebrate achievement, and encourage further growth. After each performance, adjudicators will speak to the cast, crew and director at the front of the house (with other schools observing). Adjudicators are not permitted to see a participant’s entry prior to the Festival performance.

The adjudicators will provide brief verbal feedback to the group, addressing the following items:

1. In my opinion, the strongest acting/staging elements of this piece were…
2. If you continue to work on this piece, I would suggest you concentrate on…
3. When I think back and remember this show, what I’ll remember most is…

An awards ceremony will take place approximately 1 hour after the conclusion of the last play.

All awards are determined by the judges.

Adjudication Rubric

Click here to see the adjudication rubric, which outlines how each production will be rated in a variety of categories.

Festival Awards Hub

Following the Festival, teachers will have access to the NCTC Awards Hub – an online resource for celebrating your Festival success. Teachers will be able to download and print their production/student award certificates, download a press release template, and find more tools for sharing Festival accomplishments.

Adjudication forms and CEU certificates will be emailed to teachers after the Festival. Please allow several business days for these forms to be processed and distributed.

The following awards will be presented at each regional site:

*Shows receiving Superior ratings will be acknowledged during the Awards Ceremony.

Award Descriptions:

Festival Spirit Awards

We encourage your group to attend the entire Festival and watch every show! There will be a fun roll call before each show begins, and schools that are present for all performances will receive a Festival Spirit Award! By attending the full Festival, you are supporting other schools by being an enthusiastic audience; you are able to use the Festival as a tool to meet Essential Standards that focus on analysis; your students are able to learn from the adjudication after each performance; and everyone will make new theatre friends!

Design and Production Awards - New Process for 2024

Adjudicators will present Design and Production Awards and welcome nominations from teachers in this category. Teachers are encouraged to nominate students who have excelled in any non-acting production work, including (but not limited to) stage management, public relations, design, student direction, and playwriting.

Each school may submit two nominations per play. Teachers may nominate individual students or small teams (of up to 3 students) who worked in the same production role. Nominations must be submitted via an online form by February 28. Paper forms will no longer be accepted on-site.

Design and Production Award Nomination Form

Celebrate Your Achievements!

Part of the mission of the Play Festival is to advocate for support for theatre arts programs in schools. NCTC takes action on your behalf and invites you to do the same. At the conclusion of the Festival, principals from participating schools will receive an email from NCTC, acknowledging the awards their school received, thanking them for supporting their theatre program, and explaining how the Play Festival enhances classroom learning. You’ll also receive access to a press release template and we encourage you to send the release to local media outlets, elected officials, school board members, parent supporters and others. Help us advocate for you!